Evaluating the role of perceived stress on the likelihood of having a non - fatal acute coronary syndrome: a case-control study.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the independent role of perceived stress, measured by the PSS-14, on the likelihood of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Conclusion: This is a case-control study with individual matching by age and sex. During 2010-2012, 250 consecutive patients (60±11 years, 78% men) with a first ACS and 250 population-based, control subjects (60±8.

Efficacy and safety of high dose versus low dose furosemide with or without dopamine infusion: the Dopamine in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure II (DAD-HF II) trial.

Aims: The role of low-dose dopamine infusion in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) remains controversial. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high- versus low-dose furosemide with or without low-dose dopamine infusion in this patient population.

Methods And Results: 161 ADHF patients (78 years; 46% female; ejection fraction 31%) were randomized to 8-hour continuous infusions of: a) high-dose furosemide (HDF, n=50, 20mg/h), b) low-dose furosemide and low-dose dopamine (LDFD, n=56, 5mg/h and 5 μg kg(-1)min(-1) respectively), or c) low-dose furosemide (LDF, n=55, furosemide 5mg/h).

Epidemiology and importance of renal dysfunction in heart failure patients.

Renal dysfunction (RD) is a frequent comorbid condition and a major determinant of outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). It is likely that the etiology of RD in patients with HF is much more complex than we first thought and represents a matrix of independent, albeit interacting, pathophysiological pathways with effects on both the kidney and the heart that share a common denominator: aging and inflammation. Renal dysfunction in HF has been attributed, among others, to biochemical, hormonal, and hemodynamic factors, coupled with pharmacological interventions.

Diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy: clinical implications.

Diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (DCAN), the impairment of the autonomic balance of the cardiovascular system in the setting of diabetes mellitus (DM), is frequently observed in both Type 1 and 2 DM, has detrimental effects on the quality of life and portends increased mortality. Clinical manifestations include: resting heart rate disorders, exercise intolerance, intraoperative cardiovascular lability, orthostatic alterations in heart rate and blood pressure, QT-interval prolongation, abnormal diurnal and nocturnal blood pressure variation, silent myocardial ischemia and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Clinical tests for autonomic nervous system evaluation, heart rate variability analysis, autonomic innervation imaging techniques, microneurography and baroreflex analysis are the main diagnostic tools for DCAN detection.

Association of renin-angiotensin system and natriuretic peptide receptor A gene polymorphisms with hypertension in a Hellenic population.

Introduction: Hypertension results from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Since the renin-angiotensin and the natriuretic peptide systems contribute to blood pressure regulation, variations in the relative genes are candidates for the development of hypertension.

Materials And Methods: In 194 hypertensives and 304 controls of Hellenic origin, the possible association between the (CA)n repeat polymorphism of angiotensinogen (AGT), the 250 bp insertion/deletion (I/D) of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism (TCTG)n of renin, and the (CT)n repeat polymorphism of the natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA) and hypertension was assessed.